"It is a great honour for me, as the first representative of the real Santa Claus, who we all know lives on the icecap in Greenland, to present this award to the southern part of this planet," Greenland Prime Minister Lars Emil Johansen said before unveiling a lifesize sculpture of a smiling Mandela in a red and white furlined Father Christmas costume.
South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo accepted the award which carries $100,000 prize money on Mandela's behalf, as the president was unable to attend the ceremony.
Mandela, 77, was chosen as the first recipient of the Santa Claus Foundation of Greenland's first "Santa of the Year" award in recognition of his humanitarian works.
The prize money will go to the President's Children's Trust Fund.
"This is a person who has retained his love of children and Christmas despite (27) years of unjust incarceration," said Johansen, speaking through an interpreter.
The Santa Claus Foundation's Peter Fulford Williams said there were few people in the world that everyone loved.
"One is Santa Claus, the other is Nelson Mandela. He sends messages on the same frequency as Santa Claus... I must say it will be difficult to find a successor for him."
END
Top of page
Santa Claus Foundation recieved by President Nelson Mandela
Santa Claus Homepage
Greenland Guide Index